**Hi Guys, I'm sorry it took a long time for this update. My laptop had a problem the past weeks and I couldn't find time to have it fixed. It was a bit frustrating since I'm not a techy person and I don't know much about laptops. haha! Unfortunately, when I got my laptop back after days of waiting, I couldn't write much due to my busy schedule and that mental block I've shared previously. Thanks God this chapter is finally ready! :D

CH 18

Sulli bit her lip as she wrote the report she will be presenting later to the board. But this is one of the days when your brain is not functioning as you want it to. Sulli normally just needs a few minutes, not even an hour, to make a two page report. But right now, she’s out of her normal function. What is happening to her? Just when she needs to impress the board for her first appearance for Elle, here goes her brain doing … nothing!

Sulli received a call.

Changmin? Why is he calling her? The last time they talked was during her last day in her prior Ad Agency.

Sulli answered the call.

“Hello, Changmin?” asked Sulli.

“Hi Miss Sulli. I’m glad I could reach you.” Said Changmin.

“Hey… what’s up?” asked Sulli.

 “Everything is so chaotic here.” Said Changmin. “I just… need a breather. Can I ask you out for lunch today? Don’t feel you have to say Yes. I just wanted to talk to someone.”

“Yes.” Said Sulli. “I need some breather too. Let’s have lunch!”.

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Sulli sighed.

Changmin’s story is really complicated. It seems Jae Hyun had to lead the Korean promotions for Carlito’s while they can’t find a new model yet. Thus, Jae Hyun had to stay in Korea longer than he planned.

When was the last time she saw Jae Hyun? Hmm…

Oh right… he got angry with her for letting herself be used as the redeeming story so that Minho could get out of the scandal Ailee created.

“Good thing Jae Hyun’s schedule permitted him to stay longer. He’s an International model afterall. I’m sure he has work overseas waiting for him.” Said Sulli.

“He said he was planning to stay longer here for vacation. He said that after the Carlito’s promotions, he was supposed to stay here for a few more months.” Said Changmin.

“Oh… really…”

Jae Hyun did not share that piece of info. Sulli thought he’ll leave immediately after the promotions.

Let it not have anything to do with her please. It’s not that she still hates the guy, she doesn’t hate Jae Hyun that much anymore. But then… he makes her uncomfortable. .Especially now when he told her he regretted leaving her.

She still doesn’t know how to react when she sees him again.

Not that they’d ever see each other again.

“I hope Carlito’s find a new model soon.” Said Sulli.

“Our ad agency is using almost everyone to look for a model. But nobody has the Sulli touch.” Said Changmin.

Sulli touch?

“That’s… funny. Sulli touch. Haha!” Said Sulli, with humor in her voice.

“No, I wasn’t joking, Miss Sulli.” Said Changmin. “You have a special ability to find models from their simple normal life. You discovered a lot of models who were just salesladies or even ice cream vendors. When you can’t find models from the modelling agencies, you find them out in the world. Just like how you found Minho. It was wrong for the company to let you go. Now everyone is going crazy back there. Nobody has your ability.”

Wow…

“Hmm… I don’t know what to say. It took me forever to find Minho for Carlito’s. I just got lucky… or maybe I should say Unlucky, to find him.” Said Sulli. “I’m sure Boss will make a way out of this. He’s very capable. I’m just so sorry for putting everyone into this mess.”

“This isn’t your fault alone, Miss Sulli. Everyone was desperate to find Carlito’s a model. Everyone became negligent. Even your Boss was negligent.” Said Changmin. “He should have asked you to do a background check. But since he needed Minho, he completely ignored it. I would have been happier if your Boss resigned instead of you.”

Wow… Changmin’s words made Sulli felt so much better.

“You sure know how to comfort people with words.” Said Sulli.

“I wasn’t comforting you. I was plainly telling what I think.” Said Changmin.

Sulli smiled. Changmin and her was never close back in the Ad Agency. But… it seems like she wasted all the time she could have been good friends with him.

“How’s your new work? Everyone one was shocked when they heard Elle got you.” Said Changmin

“I was shocked too. I didn’t expect things will turn out this way. I guess… the saying is true. Once the door closes, a window opens.” Said Sulli.

“And that window is so big! That’s even bigger than a promotion in the Ad company.” Said Changmin

Sulli nodded.

“I don’t know how it happened either.” Said Sulli. “But I’m trying my best to learn as fast as I could so that I wouldn’t let anyone down.”

And then Sulli felt someone grabbing her arm.

“Do you go out on dates with your old officemates?”

Sulli’s eye widened upon realizing who the man was.

It’s… Jae Hyun.

“Why do you have to date an old officemate when you have an International supermodel ex-boyfriend waiting for your call day and night?”

Weird how Sulli’s chest started drumming. Jae Hyun’s sudden appearance made her… nervous.

Changmin faked a cough.

Oh no…

 Why did Jae Hyun say those things! In front of Changmin. She wants the past to be totally forgotten! Why would he say he’s her ex?!

“Ex boyfriend?” asked Changmin.

Yep, he heard it. Changmin is not the slow type.

“You mean…” Changmin looked more shocked than Sulli. “You mean you… Mr. Ahn… and Miss Sulli… you mean you two dated?”

Changmin drank some water.

“Wow… you were only together for a week and you already dated? You two were very efficient!” said Changmin.

Sulli sighed.

“Nope. We did not date during that week, Changmin.” Said Sulli. “He was talking about some puppu love… oh let me correct myself. He was talking about some infatuation during highschool.”

“High school?”

“We were schoolmates when we were younger.” Explained Sulli.

“But it wasn’t infatuation.” Said Jae Hyun. “At least for me…”

Sulli stood up.

“Thank you for the lunch Changmin. I enjoyed catching up with you. But I still need to finish a report for my meeting later. So I need to get going.” Said Sulli.

“Sure.” Said Changmin. “I’m glad to see your doing well with Elle.”

“Yeah, I’m still sorry that you have to clean up the mess I made, Changmin. But I’m happy to know you’re not taking that against me. It makes me feel… peaceful inside.” Said Sulli.

And then Sulli left the restaurant.

Jae Hyun followed Sulli out.

“Stop following me.” Said Sulli.

“I don’t want to.” Said Jae Hyun.

“People will recognize you so stop following me.” Said Sulli.

“You forgot that people may also recognize you. Remember that your face had been all over the net the past weeks. It’s not good to leave you alone walking on the streets.” Said Jae Hyun.

Sulli stopped walking and faced Jae Hyun.

“The past weeks, my life has never been more peaceful.” Said Sulli. “My work is stressful but I’m at peace.”

“Liar.” Said Jae Hyun. “I don’t think you’re at peace. Your eyes tell me you haven’t slept in days… And I may even think you’ve been awake at night crying by the looks of your overly plump eye bags.”

Sulli clenched her hands on her side.

“And I have a good guess why.” Said Jae Hyun.

Sulli looked away and tried to walk faster. But Jae Hyun’s long legs caught up with Sulli effortlessly.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I suspect makes you cry at night?” asked Jae Hyun.

Sulli ignored Jae Hyun. But Jae Hyun grabbed Sulli’s arm so that she could face him.

“He’s not worth it.” Said Jae Hyun.

“Stop it.” Said Sulli. “You don’t know anything.”

“But I do.” Said Jae Hyun. “I know for sure that you are I love with your best friend’s ex, Ailee’s ex.”

Oh no… Jae Hyun found out. Sulli felt drained suddenly.

“How…”

Sulli shook her head. It doesn’t matter whether he knows or not.

“Whatever I feel, nothing in the situation will change.” Said Sulli. “It’s totally one sided. That guy doesn’t like me.”

“He… Doesn’t like you?” asked Jae Hyun.

Jae Hyun’s eyes narrowed. What is Sulli talking about? One sided? What is she saying that guy doesn’t like her? That’s… weird. Jae Hyun was sure about his observation. That Minho guy likes Sulli.

Sulli’s eyes started to look too red and moist…

“He… told me so.” Said Sulli. “He doesn’t like me. He doesn’t feel anything like the way I feel for him. I guess… he hasn’t moved on from Ailee. And I can’t blame him. They had an eight year long relationship. He just really got to know me a bit more recently. I guess I… I’m…I’m… nothing like Ailee.”

Tears started falling from Sulli’s eyes.

Jae Hyun slowly pulled Sulli into his arms.

“You… have no idea how I feel right now Sulli. I’m angry at Minho Choi. I want to crush him for hurting you like this. I want to make him feel miserable for breaking your heart. But then… I’m getting weak right now because I’m in pain.” Said Jae Hyun. “Because you chose to let your heart be broken with him when I’m just here… trying to make everything whole between us again.”

Sulli looked up at Jae Hyun and saw Jae Hyun’s eyes. Tears are slowly flowing down from his eyes.

“Let me correct the mistakes of the past, Sulli.” Said Jae Hyun. “Let me continue to love you.”

Sulli stared at Jae Hyun. Is she getting soft? Why does Jae Hyun sounded so… sincere?

It’s probably because of her emotions. She’s too lonely and sad and in pain right now that’s why she feels so affected by Jae Hyun’s words.

“I…loved you so so much, Jae Hyun.” Said Sulli. “You were the love of my life. There was nothing in my future but you. You were my dream.”

Sulli shook her head.

“But you left. And it ended there.” Said Sulli. “Our story ended when you broke my heart, Jae Hyun.”

Sulli pulled away from Jae Hyun.

“I’m sorry.”

And then Sulli walked away.

Jae Hyun closed his eyes as he fought the bitter pain enveloping his heart.

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The car Minho was riding was going along the road near Elle Perfumery’s Building when he saw them.

Ahn Jae Hyun and…

Sulli.

They